Success is not permanent, I come from a family of salaried teachers and I know the value of every rupee: Pratik Gandhi

18/09/2021

After the success of Hansal Mehta's ‘Scam 1992’, its face and lead actor Pratik Gandhi has become a household name. So much so, that anyone who’s wanting to make anything in the film industry, wants to work with Pratik. It’s literally like someone shone a 24x7 spotlight on the young man, turning him into a sensation. But Pratik knows better than to bask in the glory. He draws wisdom from his modest background and middle-class upbringing. And that’s why he doesn’t make any noise about his success, nor about the plethora of opportunities at his disposal right now. Even as his next film, ‘Bhavai’ courts controversy over a title change, Pratik Gandhi plays it down and focuses on the next project. Speaking to ETimes, the young actor reveals the secrets to his modesty and reasons for his passion. Excerpts from the chat:
‘Scam 1992’ changed your life and today you’re one of the most sought after actors in the Hindi film industry.
Things have changed a lot. There is a lot of excitement within the audience and the makers, which is overwhelming for any actor. I guess an actor dreams for such a phase where you are approached with good scripts and people have faith in your craft and they want to work with you. I waited for this stage of life for almost 16 years. It is an exciting time right now. I feel really lucky to have ‘Scam 1992’ as my first national release, in fact it became international because of the OTT. Since it is a long format show I got good enough time to dwell in the character. And since the character was so well written, I could portray a lot and in the end, the character got loved by all. Even kids know the dialogues by heart. That rarely happens these days.
How do you keep a level head after such huge success?
It is a personal trait. It is your own experience in life that teaches you how to deal with such things. Where I come from, the family, upbringing, whatever I have seen in life, I know for sure that nothing is permanent. It changes every second, every day and more so, my time in theatre taught me the same thing. When you do the same play again and again, you see that one show ends up being too good, where we get standing ovations for 5 minutes and the next show of the same play will not get any reaction from the audience. That experience taught me a lot. Ultimately, at the end of the day, we are humans and I am here in the entertainment industry for experiments, to create new characters and to tell stories, that's it. I don't think much about success. It will keep changing with every project.
What can’t change is the zeal and passion I have for work. I still work the same way now as I used to before ‘Scam 1992’. Because that’s how I think and create characters. I enjoy being on stage and being in front of the camera. My selection process is also very organic. It is purely based on gut instincts. If I develop a connection to a script or character then I want to do it.
How much does the stature of the production house backing a project matter to you?
I don't go by the name of the banner or by the name of the people involved. I certainly want to go by the script first and of course who is making it. Their vision, the kind of films they have made earlier will give me some idea about how they think about the story and the emotion. If I resonate with the same world and character, then I really want to be a part of it.
You’re not too bothered about big banners, but are the big banners bothered about signing you?
I have a lot of interesting projects on offer from a lot of interesting people. One of the biggest banners of India, T-Series is working with me on ‘Dedh Bigha Zameen’ where Hansal (Mehta) sir is also a co-producer. It is a sweet film and it talks about a current issue in India. It is a common man’s story and it’s relatable and heart-breaking, too. We will finish the shoot tonight. I am in Jhansi shooting for the film.
After ‘Scam 1992’, were you offered similar kind of films and projects?
Thankfully, I wasn’t offered anything like ‘Scam’ after its release and everybody was willing to explore new subjects and characters with me. So, I am very happy about that. Apart from the brand offers, I guess everyone wants to encash on the success of ‘Scam’. Now with the festive season approaching, I have a lot of offers from digital engagement and social media engagement.
With great success comes great wealth. How are you dealing with this new found commerce of life?
It is very difficult to deal with. I am an engineer (laughs). Commerce ka koi lena dena hi nahi hai life mein (Commerce is totally unrelated to my life). Thankfully I am Gujarati, and by virtue of that I am able to manage little bit of it. I come from a family that has always believed in FDs (fixed deposits). I come from a family of teachers. We have lived on salaries. It is for the first time that I am seeing such different figures in life. I have always been repaying loans, managing medical emergencies at home. I know the value of each and every rupee.

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